Reception
In Antwerp, the expedition was heartily welcomed. A special committee had been planning the festivities for months. Typical for polar expeditions in this age, feelings of national (and regional) pride surrounded the homecoming celebrations. The Belgian state honored De Gerlache and his men by making them member of the Royal Order of Leopold, the municipal government of Antwerp honored the men by medals and writing their names in the Golden Book of the city. On the day they first set foot on Belgian soil again, the Brabançonne sounded and the national flag was seen waving from many houses. All in all, sentiments of nationalism definitely played a role in the reception of the expedition.
Read more about this topic: Belgian Antarctic Expedition
Famous quotes containing the word reception:
“But in the reception of metaphysical formula, all depends, as regards their actual and ulterior result, on the pre-existent qualities of that soil of human nature into which they fall—the company they find already present there, on their admission into the house of thought.”
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“I gave a speech in Omaha. After the speech I went to a reception elsewhere in town. A sweet old lady came up to me, put her gloved hand in mine, and said, “I hear you spoke here tonight.” “Oh, it was nothing,” I replied modestly. “Yes,” the little old lady nodded, “that’s what I heard.””
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